Indian Student Arrested In Germany for Alleged Murder Of American Girlfriend In Arizona

After his 19-year-old girlfriend was discovered dead in her residence in Tucson, Arizona, a 20-year-old Indian man was detained in Germany and charged with first-degree murder. Around 4 p.m. on Thursday, the family of 19-year-old college student Julissa Rubi Salazar requested a welfare check, prompting police and emergency personnel to respond to an apartment near Euclid Avenue and Elm Street, according to the New York Post.

Salazar was declared dead at the scene by Tucson Fire Department personnel after they discovered her unconscious. She received violent injuries consistent with a homicide, according to the police. Varun Batchigari, 20, her boyfriend, was named by investigators as the primary suspect. Salazar was allegedly strangled, according to the authorities.

Police and local media sources state that after Batchigari allegedly stole Salazar’s phone and credit cards and sent her mother a slew of messages, detectives started to suspect him. Later, investigators discovered that on the day of Salazar’s death, Batchigari had been to Tucson International Airport. With the intention of eventually traveling to India, he boarded a trip to Houston and then connected to an aircraft to Berlin, Germany.

He was charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping after police acquired an arrest warrant. After Batchigari arrived in Germany, Arizona officials worked with local, federal, and international authorities to arrange for his detention.

On August 5, a few days before Salazar was discovered dead, her housemates apparently heard loud screams coming from her bedroom. Later, they texted her to see how she was doing. Salazar allegedly responded that the noise was the result of an argument and that she was alright.

Additionally, investigators discovered that Salazar had allegedly been preparing to break up with Batchigari. She had previously accused him of sexual assault, but the alleged crime was not reported to the authorities, according to local media sources.

According to court documents, Batchigari was also the subject of an unrelated assault complaint in Pima County that was filed in May. According to reports, he studied business analytics at the University of Arizona before being ejected after a brawl. Additionally, he apparently lost his job recently, which made it difficult for him to pay his rent and jeopardized his immigration status.

Batchigari is still being held in Germany and is anticipated to be extradited to Arizona. After that, he will be charged with first-degree murder and put into the Pima County Adult Detention Center.

Also Read – Murdered Indian-Origin Woman’s Partner Arrested After 7 Months In Canada